FG700S: Yamaha Guitar Review

"...the old saying, "You get what you pay for", is the exception rather than the rule for the Yamaha FG700S."

Product Summary

Product Name: Yamaha FG700S

Performance Rating:

Value Rating:

Review Date: January 15, 2008

MSRP: Est. $199. Price may vary.

Pros

Excellent construction and finish

Rich, full tones—very dynamic

Great low-medium action

Amazing value for what you get

Cons

Can be a bit twangy in the treble range when playing loudly.

Introduction

For those of you who are learning the guitar or have been playing for years and are looking for a great acoustic guitar, look no further: the Yamaha FG700S is here.

Overview

The FG700S is a 6-string acoustic guitar with a solid Sitka spruce top, Nato laminated back and sides, tortoise pickguard, Rosewood bridge, and "Yamaha" inlaid in pearl at the head of the guitar.

Sound and Tone

When we demoed this Yamaha guitar, the first thing we noticed besides its beautiful finish and construction was its tone. The FG700S has deep warm bass tones that are rich and fulfilling even compared to much more expensive guitars. The treble is nice too; however, it can get a bit bright here especially if you are playing loudly. Backing down a little will soften it up though. We were surprised with just how much volume came out of this guitar—very dynamic. The FG700S sounded great straight out of the box.

Action, Construction and Finish

The action on the FG700S is great being on the low to medium side. Even though this guitar was constructed at the Yamaha factory in China, the construction on this guitar was just amazing! Everything fit together great—no seeping glue, miscuts, or uneven purfling. The finish, too, was amazing and looked awesome. This is one very solid and durable guitar. Yamaha's reputation for outstanding quality control and craftsmanship obviously continues outside of Japan!

Conclusion

We were quite impressed with this Yamaha guitar. From its sound and construction to its finish and durability, with a price tag of around $200, the old saying, "You get what you pay for", is the exception rather than the rule for the Yamaha FG700S.